Toy musical instrument with replaceable voice actuated diaphragm



' June 21, 1966 J. GREEN 3,256,636

TOY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH REPLACEABLE 1 VOICE ACTUATED DIAPHRAGM FiledSept. 5, 1963 Fig: 1.

I W79 22 U a /5 F 1g: 20 23 Fig: 5.

INVENTOR.

' JOSEPH GREEN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,256,636 TOY MUSICALINSTRUMENT WITH REPLACE- ABLE VOICE ACTUATEI) DIAPHRAGM .Ioseph Green,Hewlett, N.Y., assignor to llayshore Industries, Incorporated,Amsterdam, N.Y., a corporation of Maryland Filed Sept. 5, 1963, Ser. No.306,874 2 Claims. (Cl. 46182) This invention relates generally to toymusical instruments, particularly of the type known as kazoos, wherein amore or less musical buzzing sound is produced When the user hums into atube having an opening in the wall thereof across which there isstretched a membrane or piece of paper to be vibrated by the introducedhumming sound.

In previously existing toy musical instruments of the describedcharacter, the opening in the tube wall has a cup-shaped, internallythreaded socket extending therearound, and the flexible paper membraneis adhesively secured on a carboard or other substantially rigidsupporting ring which seats against the bottom of the socket and isretained in the latter by a centrally apertured, threaded retaining capscrewed into the socket.

The foregoing existing arrangement is disadvantageous in that thethreaded engagement of the retaining cap in the socket is a relativelytime consuming, and hence costly assembly step, and further in that,upon puncturing of the original paper membrane, the same cannot beeasily replaced, for example, merely by a piece of tissue paper, as thecooperating threaded cap and socket are not adapted to maintain a pieceof soft paper in a tensioned or taut condition.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a toy musicalinstrument of the described character preferably formed to simulate theappearance of a real wind instrument, for example, a bugle, trumpet,saxophone, clarinet or the like, and wherein the structure forsupporting the flexible paper membrane is constructed and arranged forquick and easy assembly, and also for inexpensive production byconventional plastic molding techniques, thereby to reduce the cost ofthe toy musical instrument.

A further object is to provide a toy musical instrument of the describedcharacter wherein the paper membrane mounted on a cardboard ring andforming part of the toy, as manufactured, may be replaced merely by apiece of tissue or other easily vibrated paper in the event ofpuncturing or other damage to the originally supplied membrane.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, a toy musical instrumentincludes a hollow body preferably molded of a plastic material tosimulate the appearance of a real musical instrument and having atubular portion terminating in a mouthpiece into which a child can hum,such tubular portion having an opening in the wall thereof surrounded byan outwardly directed, annular flange formed with an external bead andon which the cardboard supporting ring secured to the original papermembrane may seat, and a retaining cap of resilient, elastic plasticmaterial having a centrally apertured, outwardly dished circular wallwith a depending peripheral rim provided with an internal bead intendedto snap over the external bead of the flange when the cap is pushed ontothe latter for yieldably retaining the cap on the flange with theperipheral portion of the paper diaphragm gripped between the peripheralportion of the apertured wall of the cap and the edge of the annularflange.

In accordance with a further feature of this invention, the internal andexternal beads of the cap and flange, respectively, are shaped so thattheir interengagement urges the cap axially onto the flange beyond theposition at which the original paper membrane and its cardboardsupporting ring are gripped therebetween. Thus, in the event of damageto the original membrane, the same can be replaced by a suitably cutpiece of tissue paper or the like which is stretched over the edge ofthe flange and held in the desired operative taut condition byengagement of the cap on the flange.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of this invention,will be apparent in the following de- .tailed description of anillustrative embodiment thereof which is to be read in connection withthe accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a toy musical instrument embodyingthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, exploded sectional view of the parts of the toymusical instrument of FIG. 1 embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is a view similar tothat of FIG. 2, but showing the several partsin assembled relationship;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged, fragmentary sectional view showing thecooperative assembled relationship of the parts, particularly when thetoy musical instrument incorporates the original paper membrane; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to that of FIG. 4, butshowing a replacement paper membrane installed in the instrument.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, itwill be seen that a toy musical instrument embodying the presentinvention, and there generally identified by the reference numeral 10,includesa body 11 in the form of a wind musical instrument, for example,in the form of a bugle, as shown, or a trumpet, saxophone, clarinet andthe like, and which is preferably blow molded of linear polyethylene.The body 11 has a tubular portion 12 terminating in a mouthpiece 13 intowhich a child can hum. As shown on FIG. 2, the tubular portion 12 has anopening 14 in the wall thereof with an outwardly directed annular flange-15 extending around the opening 14 and having an external annular beadd6 of generally semi-circular cross-section extending around the outeredge portion or mouth of the flange.

The humming sound introduced at the mouthpiece 13 is effective tovibrate a paper membrane 17 stretched across the outer edge of flange 15surrounding opening 14. The toy instrument 10 is originally suppliedwith the paper membrane 17 in the form of a disk which, at its outerperipheral portion, is. adhesively secured to a cardboard or othersubstantially rigid ring 18 dimensioned to rest or seat on the outeredge of flange 15 (FIGS. 3 and 4).

A retainingcap 19 is provided for releasably holding the membrane 17 andits supporting ring 18 on flange 15 and is preferably injection moldedof polyethylene or other plastic materials which are elasticallyresilient, at least to some extent. The cap 19 includes an upwardlydished, circular wall 20 having a central aperture or opening 21, and adepending peripheral rim 22 formed with an internal, annular head 23 ofsubstantially semicircular cross-section extending along its lower orfree edge (FIG. 2). The cap 19 is diametrically dimensioned in relationto the flange 15 so that the inner diameter at the bead 23 is less thanthe outer diameter at the bead 16. In installing the cap 19 on flange 15following the seating of the paper membrane 17 on the latter, the cap ispushed downwardly or axially over the flange 15 and the bead 23 ridesover the bead 16 and causes radial v spreading of the rim 22 of the cap.When bead 23 passes of the beads 16 and 23 yieldably resists removal ofthe cap 19 from flange 15 and thereby retains the membrane 17 in itsoperative position. By reason of the upwardly dished configuration ofwall 20 of the cap, the latter does not interfere with the vibration ofthe paper membrane 17 to produce a buzzing musical sound in response tohumming introduced at the mouthpiece 13.

As shown particularly on FIG. 4, the rim 22 of cap 19 is axially orvertically dimensioned so that, when the peripheral portion of membrane17 and ring 18 areclamped between the underside of wall 20 and the edgeof flange 15, the interengagement of beads 16 and 23 still effectsradial spreading of rim 22, whereby the elasticity of rim 22 and theengagement of bead 23 with bead 16 urges the cap 19 further onto theflange 15. If the original paper membrane 17 is damaged, the same may bereplaced by apiece of tissue paper 17a (FIG. stretched across the mouthof flange and having its edge portion wrapped downwardly over bead 16.By reason of the described vertical dimensioning of rim 22, when theoriginal membrane 17 and its supporting ring 18 are replaced by therelatively thinner tissue paper 17a, the cap 19 moves further onto theflange 15 to effect gripping engagement of the tissue paper 17a betweenthe peripheral portion of the underside of wall 20 and the top edge offlange 15 and also between the beads 16 and 23, thereby to securely holdthe tissue paper 17a in its taut operative condition. During thedownward movement of cap 19 onto flange 15, the frictional engagement ofbead 23 with the peripheral portion of the piece of tissue paper 17awrapped over bead 16 will serve to tighten or stretch the latter acrossthe mouth of flange 15.

It will be seen that, with the above described construction embodyingthis invention, the severalparts of the toy musical instrument 10 can beconveniently produced, preferably from plastic materials, by existinginexpensive molding techniques, and that the assembly of the severalparts can be quickly and easily eflected merely by snapping the cap 19over the flange 15. Further, the described construction makes itpossible to easily replace the invention is not limited to that preciseembodiment, and that various changes and modifications may be effectedtherein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope orspirit of the invention, except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a toy musical instrument, the combination of (A) a hollow bodyincluding a tubular portion with a mouthpiece at one end, said tubularportion having an opening in the wall thereof with an outwardly directedannular flange extending around said open ning, said flange'having anexternal bead adjacent the edge thereof;

(B) a flexible membrane stretched across said opening and seating onsaid edge of the flange, said flexible membrane consisting of a paperdisk secured at its peripheral portion on a rigid ring; and

(C) a retaining cap of substantially elastic material including acentrally apertured wall engageable with the peripheral portion of saidmembrane seated on the flange, and a peripheral rim depending from saidapertured wall and having an internal head to snap over said externalbead of said flange when said cap is pressed onto said flange, saidexternal and internal beads being axially located on said flange andrim, respectively, to further urge said cap onto said flange when saidpaper disk and ring are clamped between said wall of the cap and saidedge of the flange, so that said membrane can be replaced by a piece ofrelatively thinner paper clamped between said cap and flange.

2. In a toy musical instrument, the combination as in claim 1; whereinsaid body is of blow molded linear polyethylene and said cap is ofinjection molded polyethylene.v

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,354,959 10/1920Debs 46-182 2,513,600 7/1950 Thompson 46182 2,762,164 9/1956 Hester46182 3,019,933 2/1962 Gould et al. 215-4l DELBERT B. LOWE, PrimaryExaminer.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A TOY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, THE COMBINATION OF (A) A HOLLOW BODYINCLUDING A TUBULAR PORTION WITH A MOUTHPIECE AT ONE END, SAID TUBULARPORTION HAVING AN OPENING IN THE WALL THEREOF WITH AN OUTWARDLY DIRECTEDANNULAR FLANGE EXTENDING AROUND SAID OPENNING, SAID FLANGE HAVING ANEXTERNAL BEAD ADJACENT THE EDGE THEREOF; (B) A FLEXIBLE MEMBRANCESTRETCHED ACROSS SAID OPENING AND SEATING ON SAID EDGE OF THE FLANGE,SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBRANCE CONSISTING OF A PAPER DISK SECURD AT ITSPERIPHERAL PORTION ON A RIGID RING; AND (C) A RETAINING CAP OSSUBSTANTIALLY ELASTIC MATERIAL INCLUDING A CENTRALLY APERTURED WALLENGAGEABLE WITH THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID MEMBRANE SEATED ON THEFLANGE, AND A PERIPHERAY RIM DEPENDING FROM SAID APERTURED WALL ANDHAVING AN INTERNAL BEAD TO SNAP OVER SAID EXTERNAL BEAD OF SAID FLANGEWHEN SAID CAP IS PRESSED ONTO SAID FLANGE, SAID EXTERNAL AND INTERNALBEADS BEING AXIALLY LOCATED ON SAID FLANGE AND RIM, RESPECTIVELY, TOFURTHER URGE SAID CAP ONTO SAID FLANGE WHEN SAID PAPER DISK AND RING ARECLAMPED BETWEEN SAID WALL OF THE CAP AND SAID EDGE OF THE FLANGE, SOTHAT SAID MEMBRANCE CAN BE REPLACED BY A PIECE OF RELATIVELY THINNERPAPER CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID CAP AND FLANGE.